Twisted Devotion

The rain didn’t fall that night, but the sky remained gray as if it understood that someone was lost in the deafening silence.

In the room that once echoed with laughter, Arthur sat alone. The chandelier's dim light reflected dully in his lifeless brown eyes. His fingers gripped his phone tightly, as though he were holding on to the last pieces of hope, now almost completely shattered.

Athena’s name was still displayed on the screen. And just like so many times before, there was no answer. He took a deep breath, trying to push down the tightness in his chest while replaying every memory he had of her.

"Ah, that tickles! Let me go!"

That voice still sounded so soft in his ears—the way she giggled as he kept kissing her neck. The echo of her laughter was something he could never forget. Her gaze and her smile always warmed his heart, as if he could still feel them now.

"Where are you now?" he murmured, barely audible. "Why did you have to leave without a word? Didn’t you say you loved s